The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-08
as now the tax on spirits exported is

| OPpOSAttOu w Tue 6rGBlQoHt'S recon-
msenoauon, have you any further spe-
ci6c objections2"
Yes" answered Mr.. Blaine
II should seriously object to
the repeal of the duty on wool. TT
repeal that would work great Injustice
to many interests, and would seriously
| discourage what we should earnestly
encourage, namely, sheep culture
| among farmers throughout the Union.
To break down wool growing, and be
dependent on foreign countries for the
blankets under which We sleep, and
coats that cover our backs, is not a
wise policy for the national government
to enforce"
do you thit K if the Presidents re-
com mendstions were adopted it would
increase our export trader"
Possibly on some few articles of Pc
cultar construction it might, but il
would increase our import trade ten
fold as much IN the great staple fabrics,
IN wooden and cotton, in iron and steel,
IN all, thousand and one shapes, in
which they are wrought. How ere we
to export the staple fabrics to the mar
kets of Europe unless we make them
cheaper than they do in EurUpe7 And
now are We to manufacture them
cheaper unless We get cheaper labor
than they have?"
DO you think the question of labor
underlies the whole subject2"
"Ot course 1t does" replied Mr..
Blaine. ut is, in fact. the entire ques-
ton. Whenever We can force carpen-
tiers, masOns, iron-workere and me-
chanics in every department to work as
cheaply and live as poorly in the
United States as similar werkmen in
Europe, We can, of course, manufacture
as cheaply as they do in England and
France. But am totally opposed to a
policy that would entail such results.
To attempt it is equivalent to a social
and financial revolution, one that would
bring untold Distress"
Yes, but might not the great
farming class be benefited by importing
articles from Europe, instead of buying
them at higher prices at homer"
The moment" answered Mr.. Blaine,
you begin to impOrt freely from Europe,
you drive our own workmen from
mechanical and manufacturing pur-
suits. In the same proportion they be-
come tilers of the soil, increasing,
steadily, the agricultural product and
decreasing steadily, the large home de-
mand which is certainly enlargiDg as
the home manufacturers enlarge.
That. of course, works great injury to
the farmer, Cutting the market with
his products and tending constantly
to lower the prices"
Yes, but the foreign demand for
farm products would be increased in
like ratio, would 1t not?"
Even suppose 1T were" said Blaine,
= how do you know from which sourcs
it will be supplied? The tendency in
Russia, to-day, and the Asiatic pos
sessions of England is toward a large
increase of the grain supply, grain
being raised by the cheapest possible
labor. Manufacturing countries will
buy breadstuffs where they get them
the cheapest, and the enlarging of the
home market for the American farmer
being checked, he would search in vain
for one of the same value. His foreign
sales are airea1 y checked by the
great competition abroad. There never
wac q time when an increase of
large home market was so valuable to
him. The best proof is that far iers
are prosperous. and in proportion to
the nearness of the manufacturing
countries and protective tariff, tends
to spread manufacturers in Ohio and
Indiana. For example, though not
classed as manufacturing States, the
annual value of fabrics is larger than
the annual value of agricultural pro-
ducts"
But those holding the Presidents
views" remarked the reporter -" are
always quoting the great prosperity of
the country under the tariff of 1876"
THAT tariff did not involve the one
destructive point recommended by the
President, namely, the retain
In order to abolish the indirect
but the country had peculiar adyan-
tages, by the CIimean war involving
England, France and Russia and
largely impairing their trade. All these
incidents, or accidents, if you choose,
were immensely stimulating to the
trade in the United States, regardless of
the nature of our tariff. But mark the
end of this European experience with
the tariff of 1916, which for time gave
an nlusory and deceptive show Of
prosperity. Its enactment was imme-
diately followed by the Mexican war;
then, in fa4S, by the great commissions
Of Europe; then in 1649 and succeeding
years by the enormous gold yield
Of California. The Powers made
peace in 1856 and at the same
time the output of gold in California
fell off. Immediately the financial
papic Of 1857 came upon the country.
with disastrous force, though we had
in these years mined vast amount of
gold in California. Every bank in New
York was compelled to suspend specie
Four millions in gold had
been carried out of the country in eight
years, to pay for foreign goods that
should have been manufactured at
home. We had years of depression and
distress as an atonement for our folly"
ut is remarkable that Pres
President Polk rscomm ended the tariff
Of 1916 on precisely the same grounds
that President Cleveland recommends q
similar enactment now. Mr.. Polk in
sisted on emptying the Treasury by
free trade tariff, then rushed the
into debt by borrowing S15O.-
600, 900 for the Mexican war"
do you mean to imply that there
should be no reduction of the national
revenueP"
mo. What I have said implies the
reverse. l would reduce it bya prompt
rereal of the tobacco tax and would
make here and there some changes IN
the tariff, not TO reduce protee ion, but